Can you stay in the right hand lane of a dual carriageway, doing speed limit, with no traffic in left lane UK?

Question

My boyfriend was on the dual carriageway, there was no traffic in the left hand lane but there was a van in the right hand lane. Now i know you cant overtake on the left in this country but he was so annoyed with this van hogging the lane and not moving into the left lane to let traffic past. My boyfriend used the left hand lane to pass the van and the van started to follow him flashing blue lights as it was a police van. My boyfriend pulled over and the officer (who was a police constable not wearing a uniform) told my boyfriend what he did was wrong. Boyfriend argued with the officer about him hogging the right hand lane but the officer told him that it was ok to stay in the right hand lane as long as your vehicle is doing the speed limit. Boyfriend has never heard of this before (he has been driving nearly 20 years) and we want to know is the officer right. Also as the officer was not in uniform (all he had was his warrant card ID) could the officer have fined or arrested my boyfriend? I know on the motorway the rule is stay in the left hand lan unless you are overtaking does that also apply to dual carriageways?

Answer 1

no out side lane is for overtaking and plod is just a power mad *** hole

Answer 2

The law in the UK states that you drive on the left. People who continually drive in the right hand lane are breaking the law and can be prosecuted for doing so. This happened on several occasions in Leicestershire back in the 1960s.

Answer 3

I would argue that if the van was not overtaking he should have pulled over to the left lane.  By hogging the lane at the speed limit anyone with common sense knows that people will get annoyed and undertake.  Perhaps he knew that and gets his kicks waiting to catch people this way?  Sounds like a bit of a plonker.

Answer 4

The officer was being an **** (unsurprisingly) and he should have moved into the left as soon as he overtook the vehicle (if any). However if he was doing the limit, then in theory your bf should not be attempting an undertake or overtake as he would have to be speeding to do so.

My friend's dad was driving, attempted to overtake a car only for it to move out in front of him, blocking him, and for a sign to pop up from the back of the car saying it was the police and to stay under 70, as that was the limit they were doing.

Answer 5

staying in the left hand lane unless u are overtaking does apply to dual carriageways. i've just been taught this in one of my driving lessons. hope i helped.

Answer 6

highway code says that you move to the right lane to overtake and then go back to the left.

The officer was wrong, id have moved to the left, allowed you to overtake and then done you for speeding!

Also as the officer was in a van he should only have been doing 60mph on a dual carriageway, they can only do 70 on a motorway.

The van wont have been calibrated so your BF couldn't have got a speeding ticket, he could have got nicked if he got cocky under a public order offence.

You get some tools in all jobs I'm afraid, you could always complain about him.

Its also unusual to have unmarked vans with covert lights, are you sure he was genuine? Most unmarked are cars. There are people who have these lights fitted who are not coppers but are very sad.

Answer 7

A few years ago there was a story in the newspapers about a woman successfully prosecuted for staying in the right hand lane of a motorway at 70m.p.h. Her reason was different in that she hated people speeding (she lost someone because of it) and was trying to stop people speeding. She argued that as she was doing the speed limit she could stay in any lane, but lost (& rightly so).

I believe it would have been reasonable for your b/f to move into the right lane and flash the van (observing a safe distance) - flashing headlights is an indication in the Highway Code but you would need to check this.

The Highway Code does say that you can pass on the inside lane if the traffic in the other lane is moving more slowly than you or turning right. It doesn't say how much traffic there has to be.

The policeman and your b/f were both in the wrong, my sympathy is with your b/f however because the same thing really annoys me. He would probably have had to call a uniformed officer to arrest your b/f.

Answer 8

If the van was doing the speed limit, your boyfriend must have been over that to pass it (it what ever lane).

Speeding was the "No, no!" and if you just watch the video all will be explained.

Answer 9

The policeman is talking BS, you never stay in the right hand lane unless you are overtaking another vehicle.  It's not called the fast lane, but the overtaking lane.

Typical ignorant copper.

Your bf was wrong to undertake as well especially if he was speeding, the only time you can undertake is if the car you are undertaking is turning right at a roundabout that's coming up etc.

Edit:  Just read Linzre's answer and his idea about flashing headlights is a good one and justifiable.  Flashing your lights means "I am here" and is a legal way to tell the van to get the frick out of the way ;-)